OBJECTIVES: To measure the comorbiditiy burden, the economic impact and some therapeutic goals, among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in several primary care centres (PCC) in daily medical practice. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on data from patients with diagnosis of CVD (CIAP codification), aged>35 years, from five Spanish PCC. Main analysed variables were: age, sex, events/comorbidities, sanitary resources consumption, clinical parameters (diastolic blood pressure [DBP], systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDLc, HDLc, HBA1c, basal glycemia, triglycerides, body max index [BMI]). A cost model for each patient was developed by differentiating semifixed cost (personal, external personal and purchases) from the variables (pharmacy, laboratory, derivations, etc.). Costs were adjusted using an ANCOVA multivariant analysis, based on estimated marginal means (Bonferroni correction). RESULTS: Of the 51,515 patients included in the analysis, 2,600 (5.0%) had a history of CVD (CI: 4.2-5.8%); 68.2% were men. Mean number of events/patients/year was 8.1±4.2 vs. 5.2±3.6 (p=0.000) and number of visits/patient/year was 15.1±13.5 vs. 8.4±8.2 (p=0.000). The main associated variables were: males (OR=3.4; CI: 3.1-3.8; p=0.000), dyslipidemia (OR=2.0; CI: 1.8-2.2; p=0.000) and diabetes mellitus (OR=1.9; CI: 1.6-2.1; p=0.000). €41.5 million in costs were quantified (pharmacy: 69.3%, semifixed: 21.7%). The unitary costs per comorbidity-adjusted life-year per patient (marginal means) was €1,484.87 (SD=35.95) with CVD vs. €769.33 (SD=8.02) without CVD, p=0.000. Patients with CVD showed better DBP control (74.9±9.7 vs. 76.44±10.5), total cholesterol (194.8±40.9 vs. 209.2±39.7) and LDLc (123.2±37.3 vs. 138.4±35.6); p=0.000. CONCLUSIONS: CVD prevalence is not very remarkable in absolute terms; nevertheless, the costs corresponding to these patients, adjusted for morbidity are important, increasing with age and cause high sanitary resources consumption in Spanish primary care centres. To achieve therapeutic goals in secondary prevention with respect to the general population might be improved.